This invention relates to gasoline dispensing system and method and, more particularly, to such a system and method which responds to a predetermined tensile stress being applied to the dispensing hose and shuts off the gasoline flow to prevent spillage of the gasoline.
Service stations equipped with one or more gasoline dispensing units have a problem with vehicle xe2x80x9cdrive-offsxe2x80x9d, e.g., vehicles pulling away from the dispensing unit with the dispensing nozzle still inserted in the vehicle""s tank, or with the nozzle or dispensing hose otherwise secured or hung on the vehicle. Such incidents usually result in breakage of the dispensing hose, and/or the hose disconnecting from the dispensing unit. This can cause fuel spillage which, of course, creates a potentially hazardous condition. These problems are compounded in connection with service stations which also include a system for recovering vapor in the vehicle tanks when the gasoline is dispensed into the tank and routing the recovered vapor to the storage tank for the gasoline.
Although not mandated, breakaway couplings have been designed for these types of systems. However, most of them are less than satisfactory since they are relatively heavy, bulky and expensive, and often impede the flow of the fuel and/or vapor to and from the dispensing unit.
Therefore, what is needed is system and method which disengages and terminates the flow of fuel and vapor from a gasoline dispensing unit in response to the dispensing hose breaking, stretching, or disconnecting from the gasoline dispensing housing, yet is light, compact and inexpensive and does not impede the flow of fuel or vapor.
According to an embodiment of the system and method of the present invention, one end of a dispensing hose is connected to a source of gasoline, and a nozzle is connected to the other end of the hose for dispensing the gasoline. A conductor is provided that is connected to a source of energy to cause the energy to be transmitted through the conductor. The conductor extends through the length of the hose and the dispensing of the gasoline is terminated when current ceases to flow through the conductor.
The system and method of the present invention thus enjoy the advantage of immediately terminating the flow of gasoline through a gasoline dispensing unit in response to the dispensing hose breaking, stretching, or disconnecting from the gasoline dispensing housing in response to a drive-off, or the like. The system of the present invention is also inexpensive to manufacture and easy to install and maintain.